The present invention pertains to a strip member that is a component of a muntin bar assembly and to a two-piece muntin bar assembly made therefrom.
Muntin bars are often used for decorative purposes to divide light in windows and make a large integral window appear as if it were formed of a number of smaller window panes separated from each other. Decorative muntin bars simulate the colonial style of numerous panes of glass in individual wooden frames. Prior art muntin bars are integrally formed. Such prior art muntin bars may be coated in a variety of matching colors to coordinate with the color of the sash of the window; however, these muntin bars are not suited to easily have two distinct colors or textures respectively located on the interior and exterior surfaces of the muntin bar.
Muntin bars in many colors, textures, and surface configurations are required to be stocked by builder's supply houses to satisfy modem interior decorating tastes. In addition to the many colors, textures, and surface configurations desired, many manufacturers and customers are now demanding muntin bars with different colors, textures, and surface configurations on the interior and exterior surfaces of an individual muntin bar. For example, a front door may have a natural wood finish on the outside surface with a white finish on the inside surface. The homeowner may require a muntin bar assembly which duplicates the door and has a wood grain exterior surface and a white interior surface. Such arrangements were not available in integrally formed prior art designs.
Painting and roll forming a muntin bar in two different colors, textures, or surface configurations would create major difficulties in manufacturing. A large inventory of different types of muntin bars would have to be maintained in order to satisfy customer requirements for muntin bars having the numerous different color, texture, and surface configuration combinations. For example, if the interior and exterior surface of a muntin bar are each formed with one of four different surface configurations, ten different styles of muntin bars would have to be maintained in inventory to cover all of the possible combinations that may be requested of the four surface configurations. As the number of selections of colors, textures, and configurations increases, the required stock of muntin bars in each combination quickly becomes unmanageable.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a versatile muntin bar assembly that can be easily assembled from separate interior and exterior strips.